The Players Pod: ‘I think both parties dealt with it wrong’ – Brattan on Ninkovic exit

The stage is set for one of the biggest Sydney Derby’s in Isuzu UTE A-League history.

And among a multitude of storylines which will play out at Allianz Stadium, there is none bigger than the return of Milos Ninkovic to take on his former side Sydney FC.

After seven seasons at the Sky Blues, which included winning three Championships and Premierships, Ninkovic crossed enemy lines to join the Western Sydney Wanderers following an acrimonious exit in the off-season.

He will go head-to-head with former team-mate Luke Brattan on Saturday night and the veteran midfielder joined Robbie Cornthwaite’s new KEEPUP podcast The Players Pod, to talk about Ninkovic’s exit and how he feels going up against him for the first time since his departure.

In season 2022-23, you can listen to Robbie weekly on his new KEEPUP podcast – The Players Pod, with Robbie Cornthwaite. He chats to Luke Brattan, Brandon Borrello and Bruce Djite on the fourth episode. Listen below or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

“I don’t want to get too much into it. It is what it is. It’s football. It happens all around the world,” Brattan said on The Players Pod.

I think both parties dealt with it wrong.

“But that’s just my personal input. I don’t know how the fans are going to, are they going to give it to him or not. I’ll be trying to kick him that’s for sure. It just adds to the atmosphere in the derby.

“They’re playing well and they’re a good team. We’re both coming off losses so it’s desperate times for both of us. We both need three points. It should be a great game. I think there is 35,000 sold already. Hopefully we get a sellout. It’s going to be good.”

Borrello on returning to Australia, missing out on World Cup squad

When the World Cup rolls around, there are always the hard-luck stories.

Among the number of players missing out on the Socceroos squad was Wanderers winger Brandon Borrello, who fell shy of one of the coveted 26 spots on offer in Qatar after a solid run of form at the Wanderers.

The 27-year-old joined Western Sydney this off-season after five years in Germany, including stints at SC Freiburg, Fortuna Dusseldorf and most recently, Dynamo Dresden.

In a discussion between the trio about the record-high seven Isuzu UTE A-League representatives in the squad, he explained that his move home was, indeed, inspired by a late push to make it to Qatar.

“It was a bit of a calculated decision on my behalf,” Borrello said on the Players Pod.

“Possibly I could’ve stayed in Germany or in Europe. But I was there for five years, I’ve been relegated with two teams and it’s like I wanted to come back to Australia and possibly try and win something instead of staying in Europe for the sake of staying in Europe.

“I figured Arnie is picking boys from the A-League that obviously deserve to be there. So I gave myself the best possible chance to sneak into the World Cup squad just before he picked it.

“I think coming home to Western Sydney under Marko Rudan was probably the best option for me. And look, it’s not worked out but I tell you now, I’m loving football again. I’m playing with a smile on my face. I come home and the missus isn’t getting on my back about putting a smile on my face, It’s not that bad.

“Obviously I had some good years and some average years but coming home and getting back to enjoying football again was probably the biggest thing. I didn’t want to put pressure on myself with the whole Socceroos squad.

“So like I said, it is what it is. There are one or two days where I’ll be down on myself and say I should’ve done this or I should’ve done that.

“But Arnie has picked his squad and obviously the boys that are there have done it on merit. They’ve deserved it. I wish them all the best of luck. It is what it is and I’m just getting back to enjoying football and I can’t wait for this derby on the weekend.”

Brattan, discussing the composition of the squad and its mix of local and overseas based players, added: “I think there are a few players off the top of my head that have performed, not only these first five games but for the last two or three seasons, really well that aren’t getting mentioned,” he said.

“I think (Jake) Brimmer, I love watching him play. He’s hard to play against, he’s doing massive things for Victory and he just doesn’t seem to get any mentions.

“Same as Cass (Anthony Caceres) for us. He’s quality, he’s won trophies, he’s in good form and seems to go unnoticed because he’s not getting mentioned by the media. I’m not saying the boys that are in there don’t deserve it. I think everyone deserves to be there.

“But I think there are boys that aren’t there that I’d be disappointed as well if I was them. I think they’re in good form. But I think seven from the A-League is, its hard to say. It’s a good and a bad thing.

“You’ve just got to take it for what it is. I think the boys that are playing overseas are doing well. I think if we want the A-League to grow I think we’ve got to get more players in there.”

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